The present invention relates to an apparatus capable of reproducing information recorded on a disk, more specifically to a disk reproduction apparatus comprising means for holding as required therein a disk removably kept in a casing.
Generally, in a disk reproduction apparatus, known as a player, a disk, such as a video disk, is set on a turntable, and a reproducing stylus is put on the video disk to reproduce information recorded on the video disk. This information is composed of video and audio signals, and is recorded with very high density according to a PCM (pulse code modulation) recording system. If any foreign matter, such as dust or dirt, sticks to the video disk, reproduced pictures will be subject to noise. Accordingly, there have been developed various apparatus enabling an operator to set the video disk on or remove the video disk from the turntable without touching the disk.
Meanwhile, the video disk is kept in a protective casing at all times except when being played in the player. A retaining frame surrounding the disk serves to move the disk into and out of the casing when the disk is inserted into and retrieved from the player. The casing is normally locked to the frame when the disk is retained therein. However, the retaining frame is unlocked from the casing when the insertion of the disk is completed. When the casing has been drawn from the reproduction apparatus in this state, both the video disk and the retaining frame remain in the reproduction apparatus so that reproducing operation is ready to start. If the empty casing is inserted into the reproduction apparatus after the reproducing operation has ended, the video disk, is again retained in the casing with the retaining frame. The retaining frame is relocked to the casing so that the casing which loads the video disk and the retaining frame can be taken out of the apparatus.
In order to accomplish the aforementioned operation, it is necessary to provide holding means which unlocks the retaining frame from the casing and holds the retaining frame when the casing containing the video disk is inserted into the reproduction apparatus, and releases its hold of the retaining frame and locks the same to the casing when the empty casing is inserted into the reproduction apparatus after the completion of the reproducing operation. Although conventionally available, such holding means is complicated in construction, and requires too many components. In many cases, moreover, such conventional holding means is not smooth in operation or is subject to wrong operation.